Me, My Dad & St. Paul

This summer our church will be reading from the book of Ephesians. I'm very excited about that. The books St. Paul wrote, are the books of the Bible that I'm most drawn to. I have felt for many years that St. Paul and I are kindred spirits. Perhaps it's because his books were letters, and therefore are quite personal. I feel that I could have written them myself...or at least parts of them. St. Paul wrote to the early congregations when he was proud of them, thankful for them or disappointed in them. He spoke honestly about his experiences, whether they were uplifting or not. He wrote when he was in prison...tired and lonely...and even in those times...he always mentioned that he felt comforted because the Holy Spirit was with him.
Paul had not met Jesus during His ministry...but he knew Him. The moment they met, Paul's life was changed forever. As a result, the world was changed forever. That's how God works. "God's plans will not fail...and we are a part of those plans." That's very exciting. And empowering. What a great honor...to be a part of God's plans.
One thing that I appreciate about St. Paul's writings, is that they are so clear. How should we live our lives? How should we interact with each other? What should we be thinking about and what should we be doing? Answers to all of these questions are in St. Paul's letters.
In his letters, St. Paul acknowledges that we are all different...and at the same time...we are all one. Different, but not separate. We each have different gifts and talents...and we are all a part of the plan. We are all united with God, through Christ. No one is excluded.
I recently came across a news article from 1964, about my dad. He apparently felt the same towards the world as St. Paul did. Everyone is to be welcomed and supported, encouraged and loved. The author of the article said that dad felt his role as a pastor was to diminish...and let God increase. When dad quoted the Epistles of St. Paul, the author said "It was as if St. Paul himself was prompting him."
"You are your father's daughter." All my life I've been told those words by people who knew my father...and I've often said them to myself. My dad and I are very much the same. We are alike in our looks, our minds and our hearts. Our actions reflect that. Dad passed away 30 years ago...but he's very much "Still here."
Me, my dad & St. Paul. There's a connection there. I'm thankful that I'm aware of it.